Well folks, this is it--we have reached the end. This is the 112th entry into this blog, which means that (subtracting this one and the introductory entry), there are 110 chapters in the TCON series. With very few exceptions, I have written on one chapter per day for the past 110 days (since the introduction was published on the same day as Chapter 1 of The Magician's Nephew and this entry will be published on the same day as Chapter 16 of The last Battle).
And it has been quite a journey. When I started this project, it was a way to keep me busy during the quieter months of the summer--there just aren't many students who need academic advising in the middle of the summer. But as the months moved from July to August to September, and now well into October, work became much busier and it became much harder to keep up. But keep up I did.
I admit that this project saw ups and downs, as most projects do. I enjoyed the project the most at the beginning (when, I suppose, I was most optimistic about the project) and at the end--that is to say, during the first book and during the last book (which, as you've by now figured out, is my favorite). Somewhere around the middle of The Silver Chair I became really tired of the project, but I knew I needed to see it through.
In many ways, this project was much more than a summer project. It was a lesson in goal setting and goal achievement. Even though I was occasionally a day or two behind, I always caught up, and I finished on the pace of exactly one chapter per day. I will admit, as much as I have enjoyed this project, it will be nice to (a) free up about 30 minutes a day, and (b) read something different for a change.
For those of you who followed along in the journey, thank you. I don't think there's one solitary person who did, but if you did, I appreciate your effort. And if you're reading through these for the first time after the fact, I also thank you for following along with me in this adventure.
I'll finish with some of my grandfather's favorite concluding words (as seen in several videos he left behind)--
Until next time, over and out.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
The Last Battle | Chapter 16: Farewell to Shadowlands
Chapter Summary:
Everyone continues to run, until they come to a great waterfall. Everyone is magically transported up the waterfall, and they continue to run once they reach the top--faster and faster. They pass the garden where Digory journeyed on the flying horse Fledge to gather the fruit for Aslan. And then they come to the top of a hill, where there is a gate to a garden. The gate opens, and Reepicheep greets them, and bids them to enter.
As they enter the garden, they see that it is bigger on the inside than on the outside--much like the stable had been. Then, everyone greets them. Fledge the flying horse comes to greet Digory and Polly. They are greeted by everyone--Kings Caspian and Rilian, Puddleglum, Trumpkin the dwarf, Trufflehunter the badger, King Cor and his father King Lune of Archenland, Bree and Hwin the horses, the two Beavers and Tumnus the fawn, and even King Frank and Queen Helen, from the beginning of the world.
Lucy observes to Tumnus that the garden also looks just like Narnia--and then Lucy realizes that the garden is also Narnia--and that the Narnias will continue on forever, each more beautiful than the last.
Lucy and the others look around them see that something has happened to them--they can focus on (and with great clarity) absolutely anything, no matter the distance, as if looking through a telescope. Lucy sees so far that she sees England and her parents, and asks Tumnus how she can get there. Tumnus tells her that it's possible to get to any world now--the England she is seeing is just like the Narnia that she is currently in. It's the real England.
Aslan reappears and greets Puzzle the donkey first. Aslan whispers two things to him, which no one hears.
Aslan also greets Lucy, and tells her that she is not yet as happy as he means her to be. Lucy says that they are afraid of being sent away again. Aslan tells Lucy: "No fear of that... Have you not guessed?... There was a real railway accident ... Your father and mother and all of you are--as you used to call it in the Shadow-Lands--dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning" (p. 520-ish*). Aslan then appears not as a lion anymore, but as someone else.
The story ends with the guarantee that they all live happily ever after, and that their life in England and Narnia were only the first chapter of a very great story, which no one has ever read before, and one that goes on forever--in which each chapter is better than the last.
Reflection:
Again, this is a sensational chapter. I would argue that it is second-best in the TCON series to Night Falls on Narnia. What an interesting and excellent conclusion to our tale. As usual, there are a few things I want to look at. I will also summarize my experience in a final blog post (which should come a few hours after this one).
First thing's first--you read it right, all of our characters are dead. I made sure to include the quote in the summary because, in terms of the plot, it is the final twist and the final end to the Narnian plot as we came to know it. All of our characters died in a railway accident at the beginning of The Last Battle. Eustace and Jill were never going back to England anyway during their adventure, because from the moment they appeared before Tirian in the woods to rescue him, they were already dead. The same goes for everyone else who was on the train or waiting on the platform.
But as Aslan says, death is what the state of being is referred to as only within the Shadowlands. They are not really dead, but more alive than they have ever been. Aslan puts it so very well that it is worth repeating, even though it's in my summary above: "The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning" (p. 520-ish).
BUT.
This brings up a huge huge huge huge huge important and fascinating topic--the one that has frustrated theologians and scholars and lovers of the TCON series. And it's this: If everyone is dead, and Susan is not a friend of Narnia, and therefore not in this Narnian heaven--while Emeth, who worshipped a different god his entire life is in this Narnian heaven, then what follows is this: According to this, C.S. Lewis is telling us that worshiping a different god will get you into heaven, but losing your faith in the god that you should have been worshiping all along will not get you into heaven. Yikes! It's the greatest thing that rubs people the wrong way about this series, and it's definitely a fascinating topic to explore. If only we had C.S. Lewis to tell us what he meant by all of it. But it seems that will have to wait until we too make it out of the shadow-lands.
The other great thing about this chapter is that it brings to us the quintessential curtain call--often associated with hypothetical version of heaven (think about the last episode of Lost). Everyone who has passed on before them are present to greet them--all of the wonderful characters that we, as the readers, have come to know and love throughout our journey in Narnia. It's special to us in the same way that it's special to the Kings and Queens of Narnia, and the animals that have just entered the doorway into Aslan's Country--it's special because we are reunited with our friends who we have not seen in so long, and it brings us, and them, great joy.
Now, let's take a final look at the last paragraph of the novel:
I will conclude our conversation in my final blog entry in just a couple of hours.
* Apologies for the approximate page numbers. I've left my main copy at home, and wanted to conclude these journal entries today, so I've rented a different copy from the Baylor library, and the page number don't match. Oops!
Everyone continues to run, until they come to a great waterfall. Everyone is magically transported up the waterfall, and they continue to run once they reach the top--faster and faster. They pass the garden where Digory journeyed on the flying horse Fledge to gather the fruit for Aslan. And then they come to the top of a hill, where there is a gate to a garden. The gate opens, and Reepicheep greets them, and bids them to enter.
As they enter the garden, they see that it is bigger on the inside than on the outside--much like the stable had been. Then, everyone greets them. Fledge the flying horse comes to greet Digory and Polly. They are greeted by everyone--Kings Caspian and Rilian, Puddleglum, Trumpkin the dwarf, Trufflehunter the badger, King Cor and his father King Lune of Archenland, Bree and Hwin the horses, the two Beavers and Tumnus the fawn, and even King Frank and Queen Helen, from the beginning of the world.
Lucy observes to Tumnus that the garden also looks just like Narnia--and then Lucy realizes that the garden is also Narnia--and that the Narnias will continue on forever, each more beautiful than the last.
Lucy and the others look around them see that something has happened to them--they can focus on (and with great clarity) absolutely anything, no matter the distance, as if looking through a telescope. Lucy sees so far that she sees England and her parents, and asks Tumnus how she can get there. Tumnus tells her that it's possible to get to any world now--the England she is seeing is just like the Narnia that she is currently in. It's the real England.
Aslan reappears and greets Puzzle the donkey first. Aslan whispers two things to him, which no one hears.
Aslan also greets Lucy, and tells her that she is not yet as happy as he means her to be. Lucy says that they are afraid of being sent away again. Aslan tells Lucy: "No fear of that... Have you not guessed?... There was a real railway accident ... Your father and mother and all of you are--as you used to call it in the Shadow-Lands--dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning" (p. 520-ish*). Aslan then appears not as a lion anymore, but as someone else.
The story ends with the guarantee that they all live happily ever after, and that their life in England and Narnia were only the first chapter of a very great story, which no one has ever read before, and one that goes on forever--in which each chapter is better than the last.
Reflection:
Again, this is a sensational chapter. I would argue that it is second-best in the TCON series to Night Falls on Narnia. What an interesting and excellent conclusion to our tale. As usual, there are a few things I want to look at. I will also summarize my experience in a final blog post (which should come a few hours after this one).
First thing's first--you read it right, all of our characters are dead. I made sure to include the quote in the summary because, in terms of the plot, it is the final twist and the final end to the Narnian plot as we came to know it. All of our characters died in a railway accident at the beginning of The Last Battle. Eustace and Jill were never going back to England anyway during their adventure, because from the moment they appeared before Tirian in the woods to rescue him, they were already dead. The same goes for everyone else who was on the train or waiting on the platform.
But as Aslan says, death is what the state of being is referred to as only within the Shadowlands. They are not really dead, but more alive than they have ever been. Aslan puts it so very well that it is worth repeating, even though it's in my summary above: "The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning" (p. 520-ish).
BUT.
This brings up a huge huge huge huge huge important and fascinating topic--the one that has frustrated theologians and scholars and lovers of the TCON series. And it's this: If everyone is dead, and Susan is not a friend of Narnia, and therefore not in this Narnian heaven--while Emeth, who worshipped a different god his entire life is in this Narnian heaven, then what follows is this: According to this, C.S. Lewis is telling us that worshiping a different god will get you into heaven, but losing your faith in the god that you should have been worshiping all along will not get you into heaven. Yikes! It's the greatest thing that rubs people the wrong way about this series, and it's definitely a fascinating topic to explore. If only we had C.S. Lewis to tell us what he meant by all of it. But it seems that will have to wait until we too make it out of the shadow-lands.
The other great thing about this chapter is that it brings to us the quintessential curtain call--often associated with hypothetical version of heaven (think about the last episode of Lost). Everyone who has passed on before them are present to greet them--all of the wonderful characters that we, as the readers, have come to know and love throughout our journey in Narnia. It's special to us in the same way that it's special to the Kings and Queens of Narnia, and the animals that have just entered the doorway into Aslan's Country--it's special because we are reunited with our friends who we have not seen in so long, and it brings us, and them, great joy.
Now, let's take a final look at the last paragraph of the novel:
"And has He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at least they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before" (p. 525-ish).And what a wonderful conclusion to the story this is. What the narrator basically tells us is that everything we have just read was only the introduction. Not even the first chapter--just the introduction prior to the first chapter. The prologue, if you will. The end of The Last Battle is full of hope and joy and excitement for the future. And of course, there's that first sentence, in which we would suspect that Aslan has finally come to appear to be the shape of a man, whose name I suspect is Jesus.
I will conclude our conversation in my final blog entry in just a couple of hours.
* Apologies for the approximate page numbers. I've left my main copy at home, and wanted to conclude these journal entries today, so I've rented a different copy from the Baylor library, and the page number don't match. Oops!
Friday, October 24, 2014
The Last Battle | Chapter 15: Further Up and Further In
Chapter Summary:
Emeth tells the Kings and Queens of Narnia that he came to Narnia with Rishda--but was disappointed when he found that they were going to be working for an ape who was clearly lying about his entire scheme. Emeth has served Tash all of his life, and so he knew that when the disguised Puzzle was presented each night that it was a scam. Likewise, Emeth knew that when Ginger the cat bolted out of the stable that Ginger had met the real Tash. So, Emeth resolved to go into the stable. He did so, and killed the solider who had been ordered to kill anyone who entered the stable aside from Ginger. Emeth then wandered the land looking for Tash. Eventually, Aslan appeared, and Emeth bowed down in reverence. Aslan told Emeth that he will count all of Emeth's services to Tash as services to him (Aslan). Because, Aslan said, Aslan and Tash are opposites. To do good in the name of Tash is the same as serving Aslan, but doing bad in the name of Aslan is the same as serving Tash. Emeth has been searching for Aslan again ever since.
As Emeth concludes his story, Puzzle appears, looking much better than he ever had in Narnia. Jill and Lucy greet him. The Kings and Queens of Narnia begin to wonder where they are. With the help of Farsight the eagle, they realize that the land that they are in is an exact replica of Narnia--only with better colors, more importance, and more significance--as if the old Narnia was just a dream, and this was the true Narnia.
Jewel the unicorn begins to run with joy. Everyone else joins in, realizing that they can keep up with Jewel. No one is out of breath, and no one gets hot--they simply just keep running faster and faster.
Reflection:
Like the last chapter, there is so much to discuss from this chapter. But I think we'll again stick to the most obvious passage--the part where Emeth meets Aslan. Let's take a look at this a little more closely. The following is told by Emeth:
Given that Aslan also implies that Tash is an allegory for the devil, the allegorical implications here are actually pretty darn weird. Aslan is basically saying that if anyone does good in the name of a different god (or demon or devil) that they are really doing the good (and gaining their rewards) in the name of Aslan.
Needless to say, this paragraph encompasses the greatest controversy in all of the TCON series. Because basically Aslan is saying that devout followers of other faiths will reach heaven and gain their rewards because of the good that they have done in the names of other gods. The entire philosophy is, of course, rather contrary to Biblical and contemporary Christian teaching, and is a huge deviation from just about everything else presented in the series. The question, of course, is whether C.S. Lewis believed this himself. After all, he tells us that TCON was never meant to be a perfect allegory. But since just about everything else is, it's rather shocking to find something so very different from what we've experienced throughout the entire series.
Then, there's another interesting thing about this chapter. Apparently Narnia's version of heaven is exactly like Narnia itself. This is pretty fascinating--and I think it might be a glimpse into what C.S. Lewis himself imagines heaven to be like. The narrator describes it much in the same way he describes the fruits that are growing in this land--in part by saying that he basically cannot describe it; you really have to see it for yourself. All we know is that this new version of Narnia is the one that feels right for everyone--it's the one that feels like home.
Onward we go to the last chapter of TCON, and the final post of this blog.
Emeth tells the Kings and Queens of Narnia that he came to Narnia with Rishda--but was disappointed when he found that they were going to be working for an ape who was clearly lying about his entire scheme. Emeth has served Tash all of his life, and so he knew that when the disguised Puzzle was presented each night that it was a scam. Likewise, Emeth knew that when Ginger the cat bolted out of the stable that Ginger had met the real Tash. So, Emeth resolved to go into the stable. He did so, and killed the solider who had been ordered to kill anyone who entered the stable aside from Ginger. Emeth then wandered the land looking for Tash. Eventually, Aslan appeared, and Emeth bowed down in reverence. Aslan told Emeth that he will count all of Emeth's services to Tash as services to him (Aslan). Because, Aslan said, Aslan and Tash are opposites. To do good in the name of Tash is the same as serving Aslan, but doing bad in the name of Aslan is the same as serving Tash. Emeth has been searching for Aslan again ever since.
As Emeth concludes his story, Puzzle appears, looking much better than he ever had in Narnia. Jill and Lucy greet him. The Kings and Queens of Narnia begin to wonder where they are. With the help of Farsight the eagle, they realize that the land that they are in is an exact replica of Narnia--only with better colors, more importance, and more significance--as if the old Narnia was just a dream, and this was the true Narnia.
Jewel the unicorn begins to run with joy. Everyone else joins in, realizing that they can keep up with Jewel. No one is out of breath, and no one gets hot--they simply just keep running faster and faster.
Reflection:
Like the last chapter, there is so much to discuss from this chapter. But I think we'll again stick to the most obvious passage--the part where Emeth meets Aslan. Let's take a look at this a little more closely. The following is told by Emeth:
"I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook ... and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him, for I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name of Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, Child? I said, Lord, Thou knowest how much I understand. But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek" (p. 517).Well, well, well. Talk about an interesting paragraph from a theological standpoint! To summarize the paragraph, Aslan is basically telling Emeth that even though he sought to do good in the name of Tash, he was really doing good in the name of Aslan during his entire life--he just didn't know it. Aslan accepts him--and has welcomed him through the stable door--because Emeth had been doing good in the name of Tash his whole life, which was really doing good in the name of Aslan.
Given that Aslan also implies that Tash is an allegory for the devil, the allegorical implications here are actually pretty darn weird. Aslan is basically saying that if anyone does good in the name of a different god (or demon or devil) that they are really doing the good (and gaining their rewards) in the name of Aslan.
Needless to say, this paragraph encompasses the greatest controversy in all of the TCON series. Because basically Aslan is saying that devout followers of other faiths will reach heaven and gain their rewards because of the good that they have done in the names of other gods. The entire philosophy is, of course, rather contrary to Biblical and contemporary Christian teaching, and is a huge deviation from just about everything else presented in the series. The question, of course, is whether C.S. Lewis believed this himself. After all, he tells us that TCON was never meant to be a perfect allegory. But since just about everything else is, it's rather shocking to find something so very different from what we've experienced throughout the entire series.
Then, there's another interesting thing about this chapter. Apparently Narnia's version of heaven is exactly like Narnia itself. This is pretty fascinating--and I think it might be a glimpse into what C.S. Lewis himself imagines heaven to be like. The narrator describes it much in the same way he describes the fruits that are growing in this land--in part by saying that he basically cannot describe it; you really have to see it for yourself. All we know is that this new version of Narnia is the one that feels right for everyone--it's the one that feels like home.
Onward we go to the last chapter of TCON, and the final post of this blog.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
The Last Battle | Chapter 14: Night Falls on Narnia
Chapter Summary:
Everyone stands by the doorway, which is now open, and watches as Father Time emerges from the north of Narnia. Father Time blows his horn. The sky fills with shooting stars until the sky empties of them, and only blackness remains. The stars, which are living beings, fall to Narnia and then the beings come through the door.
Then, all of the creatures of Narnia come racing to the doorway--thousands upon thousands of them (including friends that everyone thinks are dead--including Roonwit the centaur). Each of them look Aslan in the face (they have no choice it seems), and immediately feel either terror or love. Those who feel terror go off into the darkness to the right of the doorway, never to be seen again. Those who feel love go into the doorway.
The grass and trees die. The ocean rises and rises, until only ocean and no land is visible. The sun and moon come up. The sun's fire devours the moon. Aslan calls to Father Time to make an end. Father Time reaches up, grabs the sun and squeezes it. Then, there is nothing but blackness and extreme cold. Aslan tells Peter to close the door and lock it, and he does. Lucy and Tirian cry over the ended world.
Many Talking Dogs then announce that they smell a Calormene. Indeed, they have found Emeth. Peter and Emeth meet. The Kings and Queens of Narnia sit with Emeth to hear who he is and how he came to be there.
Reflection:
If you must know just one thing about this chapter, it is this: Never has my summary done less justice to the contents of any chapter in the TCON series. This chapter is not really about what happens, but rather about the imagery behind how it happens. The entire chapter is absolutely magical--well, for a scene that is essentially depicting a boiled-down version of Judgment Day. Nevertheless, the chapter is absolutely captivating, and is unquestionably the best writing in the entire TCON series, as well as the best imagery. This is the climax of The Last Battle and the TCON series. No, not anything in the next two chapters even compare (and there is still at least one bombshell left).
I don't really know how to do justice to this chapter in a short reflection. So I will look at the passages that stand out to me as the most significant, or perhaps in this instance, the ones that I have questions about. Here is the first, which occurs just after Jill and Eustace see Father Time and are reminded of their journey beneath the earth when they had encountered him sleeping (in The Silver Chair):
And then there's the other passage, in which Aslan asks Peter to close the door. Here's how it goes down:
So there you have it--very likely the best chapter of the TCON series, in my opinion. It's all about the imagery and the fine details in this chapter. Everything is very carefully orchestrated and carried out, exactly as Aslan has planned. Of course, there's also the morbid implication that the animals and creatures who did not go into the stable were, within a few moments, drowned when the entire world became engulfed by the ocean... But we try not to focus too much on that detail. The chapter is a wonderful mix of beautiful, horrifying, enchanting, mysterious, unreal, unnerving, and powerful. I strongly encourage that you read it for yourself--I cannot do it justice. Of course, the power of this chapter is only derived from having read the entire series, so I would recommend that you begin with the previous 108 chapters, and then make your way to this one. The journey is great, and the destination is well worth it.
Everyone stands by the doorway, which is now open, and watches as Father Time emerges from the north of Narnia. Father Time blows his horn. The sky fills with shooting stars until the sky empties of them, and only blackness remains. The stars, which are living beings, fall to Narnia and then the beings come through the door.
Then, all of the creatures of Narnia come racing to the doorway--thousands upon thousands of them (including friends that everyone thinks are dead--including Roonwit the centaur). Each of them look Aslan in the face (they have no choice it seems), and immediately feel either terror or love. Those who feel terror go off into the darkness to the right of the doorway, never to be seen again. Those who feel love go into the doorway.
The grass and trees die. The ocean rises and rises, until only ocean and no land is visible. The sun and moon come up. The sun's fire devours the moon. Aslan calls to Father Time to make an end. Father Time reaches up, grabs the sun and squeezes it. Then, there is nothing but blackness and extreme cold. Aslan tells Peter to close the door and lock it, and he does. Lucy and Tirian cry over the ended world.
Many Talking Dogs then announce that they smell a Calormene. Indeed, they have found Emeth. Peter and Emeth meet. The Kings and Queens of Narnia sit with Emeth to hear who he is and how he came to be there.
Reflection:
If you must know just one thing about this chapter, it is this: Never has my summary done less justice to the contents of any chapter in the TCON series. This chapter is not really about what happens, but rather about the imagery behind how it happens. The entire chapter is absolutely magical--well, for a scene that is essentially depicting a boiled-down version of Judgment Day. Nevertheless, the chapter is absolutely captivating, and is unquestionably the best writing in the entire TCON series, as well as the best imagery. This is the climax of The Last Battle and the TCON series. No, not anything in the next two chapters even compare (and there is still at least one bombshell left).
I don't really know how to do justice to this chapter in a short reflection. So I will look at the passages that stand out to me as the most significant, or perhaps in this instance, the ones that I have questions about. Here is the first, which occurs just after Jill and Eustace see Father Time and are reminded of their journey beneath the earth when they had encountered him sleeping (in The Silver Chair):
"'Yes,' said Aslan, though [Eustace and Jill] had not spoken, 'While he lay dreaming, his name was Time. Now that he is awake he will have a new one'" (p. 511).This is an unusual statement, and not one that I immediately made sense of. I would speculate that Father Time's name would now be Eternity, but I don't know that for sure. I think this is one mystery that is going to remain unsolved, and I think it's that way for a reason. (A quick Google of this question reveals no certain results. Not even any speculations as far as I can tell. I'm sure speculations have occurred, I'm just not finding any quickly.)
And then there's the other passage, in which Aslan asks Peter to close the door. Here's how it goes down:
"'Peter, High King of Narnia,' said Aslan. 'Shut the Door.'
Peter, shivering with cold, leaned out into the darkness and pulled the Door to. It scraped over ice as he pulled it. Then, rather clumsily (for even in that moment his hands had gone numb and blue) he took out a golden key and locked it'" (p. 515).Another very interesting passage. I'm sure that Aslan could have closed the door himself, either with his body or with his mind--but he doesn't. Instead, he asks Peter to close the door. Why not any of the other individuals present, such as Digory or Polly, who were present when Narnia first formed? What about Tirian, the last of the Kings of Narnia? For some reason, it had to be Peter. There was no question about it. It always would and always had been Peter's duty. And we know this because he has the key. What key? From where? How did he obtain it? How did he know it would lock this door? We just don't know, and I just don't think we'll ever find out.
So there you have it--very likely the best chapter of the TCON series, in my opinion. It's all about the imagery and the fine details in this chapter. Everything is very carefully orchestrated and carried out, exactly as Aslan has planned. Of course, there's also the morbid implication that the animals and creatures who did not go into the stable were, within a few moments, drowned when the entire world became engulfed by the ocean... But we try not to focus too much on that detail. The chapter is a wonderful mix of beautiful, horrifying, enchanting, mysterious, unreal, unnerving, and powerful. I strongly encourage that you read it for yourself--I cannot do it justice. Of course, the power of this chapter is only derived from having read the entire series, so I would recommend that you begin with the previous 108 chapters, and then make your way to this one. The journey is great, and the destination is well worth it.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
The Last Battle | Chapter 13: How the Dwarfs Refused to Be Taken In
Chapter Summary:
Tirian looks around him, and sees that he is not inside of a stable, but in a place that appeared to be outdoors, on a beautiful summer day. The sun is shining, and there are fruit trees nearby. As Tirian and the others eat the fruit, Peter and the other Kings and Queens discuss how they had arrived. All of them arrived because they were either on the train or on the platform waiting for the train. They all remember a loud noise and a jolt. Peter remembers seeing the train moving toward the platform too quickly.
Tirian then sees where he entered into this land. There is a door in the middle of the field, with nothing on either side of it. Looking through the crack, Tirian can see the Calormenes and the glow of the bonfire.
Lucy describes what happened on their side of the stable. First, a Calormene solider entered and stood by the door. A cat then came in and Tash immediately appeared. The cat bolted out of the door again, and Tash disappeared. The Calormene solider stayed in place. Then, the other soldier (Emeth) was thrust into the stable. Emeth and the soldier have a quick struggle, and Emeth kills the other soldier and throws him out of the stable. Emeth has wandered around looking for Tash since then. After that, Shift was thrown in. Tash immediately appeared, and quickly disappeared with Shift. Then came about 12 dwarfs, Jill, Eustace, and finally Tirian.
The dwarfs are sitting in a tight circle nearby. Lucy and Tirian approach them, and it is quickly clear that the dwarfs believe that they are sitting inside of a dark stable, not basking in a sunlit field in an open country. Lucy and Tirian try different methods to show them where they are, but the dwarfs are too convinced that they are in a dark stable.
Aslan appears and greets everyone, and tells Tirian that he has done well. Lucy asks Aslan if he can do anything about the dwarfs. Aslan goes to the dwarfs and makes a beautiful meal appear before each of them. The dwarfs only taste bitter, nasty food--and eventually start fighting one another about whose food is better. Aslan says that the dwarfs refuse to allow themselves to be helped.
Aslan then goes to the stable door and says "Now it is time... Time!... TIME" (p. 511) and the stable door opens.
Reflection:
There are a few significant things that occur within this chapter, not all of which I can discuss yet (and some of which involve Susan, which I mentioned in the last post--this will be a subject for later on). But first, there's the plot. We finally have a resolution of the mystery of the stable. For some reason, the stable seems to have led not to a stable, but to a bright, beautiful country (guess whose country it is!)--at least for some of our characters. In truth, the stable led many places. It led to Aslan's country, it led to death, and it led, indeed, to a dark and dingy stable for some (the dwarfs). But we can be certain that the reality of the situation is that the stable unexpectedly, at some point since Puzzle was rescued, became a portal into Aslan's country.
Of course, we now have some resolution with regard to each of the characters that enters into the stable. The mysteries are solved. There is now only one mystery left--how will it all end? The last paragraph of the chapter, which I have summarized here, is very telling, but I will leave that as a cliffhanger for tomorrow.
Let's look at an important moment in the passage--the one in which we finally know that Tirian has done as he was supposed to during the adventure that unfolds within this novel. Here's what happens when Aslan greets Tirian:
What we might not have realized until now is that Tirian has gone through some tremendous growth throughout this novel. Tirian has come a long way indeed since he and Jewel killed two Calormene soldiers without considering the consequences (and the consequences, indeed, have been tremendous). Despite where he started from, Tirian has shown that he is a person of true character, a person worthy to be called the last of the Kings of Narnia.
And now I'm going to do something I've yet to do in this blog much--talk about the future. C.S. Lewis really does something incredible with this novel and with the TCON series--he saves the best for last. Not only is The Last Battle, in my opinion, the best novel of the series, but the last three chapters of The Last Battle are, without a doubt, the best chapters of the entire novel. This is not easy to accomplish, since there have been many wonderful chapters along the way. But like any good author (or beverage), C.S. Lewis knows how to finish strong. These last three chapters are pretty special ones in the literary world. And they are coming up next. Get ready.
Tirian looks around him, and sees that he is not inside of a stable, but in a place that appeared to be outdoors, on a beautiful summer day. The sun is shining, and there are fruit trees nearby. As Tirian and the others eat the fruit, Peter and the other Kings and Queens discuss how they had arrived. All of them arrived because they were either on the train or on the platform waiting for the train. They all remember a loud noise and a jolt. Peter remembers seeing the train moving toward the platform too quickly.
Tirian then sees where he entered into this land. There is a door in the middle of the field, with nothing on either side of it. Looking through the crack, Tirian can see the Calormenes and the glow of the bonfire.
Lucy describes what happened on their side of the stable. First, a Calormene solider entered and stood by the door. A cat then came in and Tash immediately appeared. The cat bolted out of the door again, and Tash disappeared. The Calormene solider stayed in place. Then, the other soldier (Emeth) was thrust into the stable. Emeth and the soldier have a quick struggle, and Emeth kills the other soldier and throws him out of the stable. Emeth has wandered around looking for Tash since then. After that, Shift was thrown in. Tash immediately appeared, and quickly disappeared with Shift. Then came about 12 dwarfs, Jill, Eustace, and finally Tirian.
The dwarfs are sitting in a tight circle nearby. Lucy and Tirian approach them, and it is quickly clear that the dwarfs believe that they are sitting inside of a dark stable, not basking in a sunlit field in an open country. Lucy and Tirian try different methods to show them where they are, but the dwarfs are too convinced that they are in a dark stable.
Aslan appears and greets everyone, and tells Tirian that he has done well. Lucy asks Aslan if he can do anything about the dwarfs. Aslan goes to the dwarfs and makes a beautiful meal appear before each of them. The dwarfs only taste bitter, nasty food--and eventually start fighting one another about whose food is better. Aslan says that the dwarfs refuse to allow themselves to be helped.
Aslan then goes to the stable door and says "Now it is time... Time!... TIME" (p. 511) and the stable door opens.
Reflection:
There are a few significant things that occur within this chapter, not all of which I can discuss yet (and some of which involve Susan, which I mentioned in the last post--this will be a subject for later on). But first, there's the plot. We finally have a resolution of the mystery of the stable. For some reason, the stable seems to have led not to a stable, but to a bright, beautiful country (guess whose country it is!)--at least for some of our characters. In truth, the stable led many places. It led to Aslan's country, it led to death, and it led, indeed, to a dark and dingy stable for some (the dwarfs). But we can be certain that the reality of the situation is that the stable unexpectedly, at some point since Puzzle was rescued, became a portal into Aslan's country.
Of course, we now have some resolution with regard to each of the characters that enters into the stable. The mysteries are solved. There is now only one mystery left--how will it all end? The last paragraph of the chapter, which I have summarized here, is very telling, but I will leave that as a cliffhanger for tomorrow.
Let's look at an important moment in the passage--the one in which we finally know that Tirian has done as he was supposed to during the adventure that unfolds within this novel. Here's what happens when Aslan greets Tirian:
"Then he fixed his eyes upon Tirian, and Tirian came near, trembling, and flung himself at the Lion's feet, and the Lion kissed him and said, 'Well done, last of the Kings of Narnia who stood firm at the darkest hour'" (p. 510).Tirian is Sam Gamgee at the opening of mount doom, who keeps his faith, carries Frodo, and is inevitably the reason that the ring is finally destroyed. Sam is the real hero, and so is Tirian.
What we might not have realized until now is that Tirian has gone through some tremendous growth throughout this novel. Tirian has come a long way indeed since he and Jewel killed two Calormene soldiers without considering the consequences (and the consequences, indeed, have been tremendous). Despite where he started from, Tirian has shown that he is a person of true character, a person worthy to be called the last of the Kings of Narnia.
And now I'm going to do something I've yet to do in this blog much--talk about the future. C.S. Lewis really does something incredible with this novel and with the TCON series--he saves the best for last. Not only is The Last Battle, in my opinion, the best novel of the series, but the last three chapters of The Last Battle are, without a doubt, the best chapters of the entire novel. This is not easy to accomplish, since there have been many wonderful chapters along the way. But like any good author (or beverage), C.S. Lewis knows how to finish strong. These last three chapters are pretty special ones in the literary world. And they are coming up next. Get ready.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
The Last Battle | Chapter 12: Through the Stable Door
Chapter Summary:
As the Narnians retreat from the battle and reorganize, they see that Eustace being carried toward the stable and then thrown in. While the Narnians recover from the battle, the dwarfs begin firing arrows at the Calormenes to keep the battle even--the dwarfs want neither side to win.
The Calormenes quickly overwhelm the dwarfs, and then attack the Narnians again. This begins the last battle of the last of the Kings of Narnia. Jill is pulled into the stable by a Calormene soldier. Tirian fights the enemies around him until he finds himself dueling with Rishda himself directly in front of the stable door. Tirian suddenly rushes at Rishda, throwing them both through the open stable door.
The door is slammed closed behind them. Tirian realizes that they seem not to be in a stable, but somewhere much better lit. Rishda is next to him, pointing at Tash. Tash asks Rishda why Rishda has summoned him, but Rishda simply cowers in fear. Tash picks up Rishda under his arm, and then a voice from nearby commands Tash to leave. Tash vanishes with Rishda under his arm.
Tirian looks around to see seven Kings and Queens standing before him. He first sees Jill and then Eustace, neither of whom look like they have just been in battle. Then he is introduced to Peter, Polly, Digory, Edmund, and finally Lucy. Tirian asks Peter where Susan is, and Peter replies that she is no longer a friend of Narnia. Jill and Polly explain that Susan is too busy being a grown-up and rushing from one moment to another in her life.
Tirian then looks around him and realizes how strange his adventure had become.
Reflection:
As the fifth-to-last chapter in the TCON series, this chapter brings us to the battle climax of the entire TCON series, beginning with the words "And then the last battle of the lasdt King of Narnia began" (p. 504). Ohhh, they said it! Sorry, couldn't help myself there. Anyway, the whole battle portion is rather an anticlimax, but I think it's written that way on purpose. All that really happens (and over the course of only a few paragraphs) is that the Narnians fight, Jill gets pulled into the stable, and Tirian finds himself pushed toward the stable.
Of course, what you may have figured out by now is two things: First, the climax is not the battle. The climax is that Tirian believes that he is giving up his life in order to save Narnia. The second thing you might realize is that we really have not yet reached the climax. The climax of The Last Battle is not the battle itself, but what comes afterward, in the last three chapters in particular.
But we will have to wait for those last few chapters--at least for a few more days. What we can look at is Tirian's sacrificial moment. Here's the very short scene:
And while we're at it, I don't yet know what to make of the blinding light and earth shaking that has occurred when both Shift and Tirian/Rishda enter the stable. Nothing that happens within the stable seems to imply anything like a bomb going off, but that's exactly what is described. Perhaps we will get an explanation sooner or later.
We'll leave this behind for the moment. I had just written a paragraph on the Susan situation, but I realized that we still have a few chapters left to go before we discuss the controversy surrounding Susan's absence from this scene in this chapter. Lest I spoil things if you are actually reading along with both my blog and the novels (ha), I will do you the small favor of waiting a day or two or three before discussing this further. After all, there are scenes in the next few chapters that will contribute to that discussion, so it is best to wait anyway. Just don't let me forget. Discuss Susan.
As the Narnians retreat from the battle and reorganize, they see that Eustace being carried toward the stable and then thrown in. While the Narnians recover from the battle, the dwarfs begin firing arrows at the Calormenes to keep the battle even--the dwarfs want neither side to win.
The Calormenes quickly overwhelm the dwarfs, and then attack the Narnians again. This begins the last battle of the last of the Kings of Narnia. Jill is pulled into the stable by a Calormene soldier. Tirian fights the enemies around him until he finds himself dueling with Rishda himself directly in front of the stable door. Tirian suddenly rushes at Rishda, throwing them both through the open stable door.
The door is slammed closed behind them. Tirian realizes that they seem not to be in a stable, but somewhere much better lit. Rishda is next to him, pointing at Tash. Tash asks Rishda why Rishda has summoned him, but Rishda simply cowers in fear. Tash picks up Rishda under his arm, and then a voice from nearby commands Tash to leave. Tash vanishes with Rishda under his arm.
Tirian looks around to see seven Kings and Queens standing before him. He first sees Jill and then Eustace, neither of whom look like they have just been in battle. Then he is introduced to Peter, Polly, Digory, Edmund, and finally Lucy. Tirian asks Peter where Susan is, and Peter replies that she is no longer a friend of Narnia. Jill and Polly explain that Susan is too busy being a grown-up and rushing from one moment to another in her life.
Tirian then looks around him and realizes how strange his adventure had become.
Reflection:
As the fifth-to-last chapter in the TCON series, this chapter brings us to the battle climax of the entire TCON series, beginning with the words "And then the last battle of the lasdt King of Narnia began" (p. 504). Ohhh, they said it! Sorry, couldn't help myself there. Anyway, the whole battle portion is rather an anticlimax, but I think it's written that way on purpose. All that really happens (and over the course of only a few paragraphs) is that the Narnians fight, Jill gets pulled into the stable, and Tirian finds himself pushed toward the stable.
Of course, what you may have figured out by now is two things: First, the climax is not the battle. The climax is that Tirian believes that he is giving up his life in order to save Narnia. The second thing you might realize is that we really have not yet reached the climax. The climax of The Last Battle is not the battle itself, but what comes afterward, in the last three chapters in particular.
But we will have to wait for those last few chapters--at least for a few more days. What we can look at is Tirian's sacrificial moment. Here's the very short scene:
"A new idea came into Tirian's head. He dropped his sword, darted forward, in under the sweep of the Tarkaan's scimitar, seized his enemy by the belt with both hands, and jumped back into the stable shouting:
'Come in and meet Tash yourself!'
There was a deafening noise. As when the Ape had been flung in, the earth shook and there was a blinding light" (p. 505).I think Tirian remembered the words of the dying centaur Roonwit, delivered to him by the eagle Farsight--that there is nothing wrong with a heroic death. And that is exactly what Tirian does, at least what he believes--he believes that he is sacrificing both himself and Rishda to Tash, thereby ending both of their lives together for the sake of Narnia. It is one of the most heroic acts in all of the TCON series.
And while we're at it, I don't yet know what to make of the blinding light and earth shaking that has occurred when both Shift and Tirian/Rishda enter the stable. Nothing that happens within the stable seems to imply anything like a bomb going off, but that's exactly what is described. Perhaps we will get an explanation sooner or later.
We'll leave this behind for the moment. I had just written a paragraph on the Susan situation, but I realized that we still have a few chapters left to go before we discuss the controversy surrounding Susan's absence from this scene in this chapter. Lest I spoil things if you are actually reading along with both my blog and the novels (ha), I will do you the small favor of waiting a day or two or three before discussing this further. After all, there are scenes in the next few chapters that will contribute to that discussion, so it is best to wait anyway. Just don't let me forget. Discuss Susan.
Monday, October 20, 2014
The Last Battle | Chapter 11: The Pace Quickens
Chapter Summary:
As soon as Tirian and company jump into the light of the fire, Rishda retreats to gather his army. Shift is too slow; Tirian and Poggin grab him and throw him into the stable. The result is a blinding blue-green light, a severe earthquake, and the noise of a loud bird.
Several Talking Animals immediately join Tirian, including all of the Talking Dogs and many smaller animals. Tirian tells the smaller animals to go release the Talking Horses that will join them. The small animals run off to find the Talking Horses to do this.
The two enemy lines gather and clash. Several Calormenes die, as well as several on the Narnian side--three dogs and a bear. The dwarfs (aside from Poggin) just watch. Tirian tries to call them to the aid of the Narnians, but they reply that the dwarfs are for the dwarfs.
Just then, the Talking Horses all start running up the hill toward Tirian. The dwarfs shoot every single one of them with arrows, killing them all. Eustace and Jewel are in an absolute rage. The dwarfs, again, say that the dwarfs are for the dwarfs--they don't want either side to win the battle.
A drum begins booming, and Tirian knows that it's a call to other nearby Calormenes to come to the battle. Tirian creates another plan of attack quickly, to strike before the other Calormenes arrive. Jill shoots at the Calormenes with her arrows while Farsight the eagle pecks at their eyes. Then, the other Narnians fall upon the Calormenes. The fight seems to be going well for the Narnians until the Calormene reinforcement arrive. Tirian calls for retreat.
Reflection:
As has been the theme throughout the TCON series, C.S. Lewis is continually (as the kids would say) upping his game. This battle is more important, and certainly more of a violent depiction of real battle than any other previous Narnian battle. This book is no longer one that I would direct specifically at children--it has gone beyond a little violent, and has become pretty graphic.
And that's not the only emotion that C.S. Lewis has increased throughout the TCON series. Let's take a look at one of the saddest passages in the entire series. Now, you need a little context first. Throughout The Last Battle, there has been a bear who has been reluctantly following Shift and his scheme. The bear has always been the one to ask the questions that everyone else is thinking. But the bear, who is unnamed, is much like Puzzle--he is used to just doing what he's told, and in general believes what others say about him. So when Shift tells him several times that he just doesn't understand and isn't very clever, he just does along with it.
But during the battle, the bear dies. And it is the saddest moment in the TCON series thus far. Here's the very brief moment:
This, my friends, is the absolute tragedy of war. Without a doubt, C.S. Lewis had WWII in mind as he was writing his passage--and all of the young men who gave up their futures without a real understanding of who they were or even why they were fighting. It is the truest tragedy of wars everywhere, and C.S. Lewis captures it perfectly.
And with that, let us open the stable door.
As soon as Tirian and company jump into the light of the fire, Rishda retreats to gather his army. Shift is too slow; Tirian and Poggin grab him and throw him into the stable. The result is a blinding blue-green light, a severe earthquake, and the noise of a loud bird.
Several Talking Animals immediately join Tirian, including all of the Talking Dogs and many smaller animals. Tirian tells the smaller animals to go release the Talking Horses that will join them. The small animals run off to find the Talking Horses to do this.
The two enemy lines gather and clash. Several Calormenes die, as well as several on the Narnian side--three dogs and a bear. The dwarfs (aside from Poggin) just watch. Tirian tries to call them to the aid of the Narnians, but they reply that the dwarfs are for the dwarfs.
Just then, the Talking Horses all start running up the hill toward Tirian. The dwarfs shoot every single one of them with arrows, killing them all. Eustace and Jewel are in an absolute rage. The dwarfs, again, say that the dwarfs are for the dwarfs--they don't want either side to win the battle.
A drum begins booming, and Tirian knows that it's a call to other nearby Calormenes to come to the battle. Tirian creates another plan of attack quickly, to strike before the other Calormenes arrive. Jill shoots at the Calormenes with her arrows while Farsight the eagle pecks at their eyes. Then, the other Narnians fall upon the Calormenes. The fight seems to be going well for the Narnians until the Calormene reinforcement arrive. Tirian calls for retreat.
Reflection:
As has been the theme throughout the TCON series, C.S. Lewis is continually (as the kids would say) upping his game. This battle is more important, and certainly more of a violent depiction of real battle than any other previous Narnian battle. This book is no longer one that I would direct specifically at children--it has gone beyond a little violent, and has become pretty graphic.
And that's not the only emotion that C.S. Lewis has increased throughout the TCON series. Let's take a look at one of the saddest passages in the entire series. Now, you need a little context first. Throughout The Last Battle, there has been a bear who has been reluctantly following Shift and his scheme. The bear has always been the one to ask the questions that everyone else is thinking. But the bear, who is unnamed, is much like Puzzle--he is used to just doing what he's told, and in general believes what others say about him. So when Shift tells him several times that he just doesn't understand and isn't very clever, he just does along with it.
But during the battle, the bear dies. And it is the saddest moment in the TCON series thus far. Here's the very brief moment:
"The Bear lay on the ground, moving feebly. Then it mumbled in its throaty voice, bewildered to the last, 'I--I don't--understand,' laid its big head down on the grass as quietly as a child going to sleep, and never moved again" (p. 500).How sad! What makes it so sad is that the bear never understood who he should be following. He never understood the evil that had come to Narnia. And he never understood why he was fighting in the battle. He just went along, because his country and his king called him to do so--but he never knew why.
This, my friends, is the absolute tragedy of war. Without a doubt, C.S. Lewis had WWII in mind as he was writing his passage--and all of the young men who gave up their futures without a real understanding of who they were or even why they were fighting. It is the truest tragedy of wars everywhere, and C.S. Lewis captures it perfectly.
And with that, let us open the stable door.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
The Last Battle | Chapter 10: Who Will Go Into the Stable?
Chapter Summary:
Jewel tells Jill to cut the lion skin off of Puzzle, and Jill does so. Shift tells the crowd of Narnians that Aslan is angry, and therefore won't come out of the stable anymore. When a dwarf in the crowd speaks up and says that the whole false Aslan getup was Shift's idea, Shift responds by telling the crowd that there is a Tashlan (what they are now referring to Aslan/Tash) in the stable. Shift says that now, they would have to go into the stable to see Tashlan; however, Tashlan is angry, and who knows what might happen to them.
Tirian and Jill wonder to each other what is really in the stable--and they speculate that it's just likely a few Calormene soldiers with swords. But then, Ginger the cat volunteers to go into the stable. Tirian realizes that Ginger is in on the scheme, and everyone holds their breath as Ginger enters the stable.
Ginger is only in the stable for moments, when it bolts like lightning from the stable and climbs a nearby tree, clearly terrified. Everyone quickly realizes that Ginger has been transformed from a Talking Cat to a non-Talking Cat. Ginger disappears up the tree, and is never seen or heard of again.
Then, a Calormene soldier named Emeth speaks up to Rishda the chief soldier and says that he would like to go into the stable to meet Tash. Emeth is clearly a very devoted Tash follower. Rishda tries to talk Emeth out of going into the stable, but Emeth makes Shift swear that Tash is in the stable. Shift reluctantly swears it, and Emeth goes into the stable.
Very soon after, a man is thrown out of the stable, dead. Rishda goes up the man, reacts in a startled way for a split second, and then announces that Emeth is dead. However, Tirian and company can tell that the man is not Emeth--it is someone else.
Shift then asks who wants to go in next, and he along with Calormene soliders start closing in on the Narnians. Tirian sees that it is time. He tells the others to get their swords out. Seven figures leap into the firelight as Tirian proclaims his presence and calls all loyal Narnians to his side.
Reflection:
This chapter may as well be titled "The Plot Thickens." What makes this chapter the most interesting is that in a vast majority of novels, including a majority of the TCON series, there is a protagonist (or several) and an antagonist (or several). And generally, one of those two parties has the upper hand. Now, in the grand scheme of The Last Battle, our antagonists certainly have the upper hand. But this chapter brings us something new entirely. In this chapter, the mystery has the upper hand.
We know this because literally nothing is going right for anyone. Tirian, Eustace, Jill, and company are having to revise their plan in an impromptu manner after Shift foils their plan to reveal Puzzle to the Narnians. Meanwhile, Shift, Ginger, and Rishda clearly had a plan in which Ginger went into the stable. I don't think the plan was for Ginger to come flying from the stable in absolute terror and somehow turn into a non-talking animal. This, by the way, was not something that just happened. This is not a normal event. This is a thing of mysterious legend--a thing that the Narnians grew up hearing could happen to them if they were bad. It would be like peeing in the pool and your pee actually turning purple. Or crossing your eyes and they actually stayed crossed forever. Or getting a lump of coal in your stocking instead of presents. You get the idea. This isn't something that just happened every day, or ever. It was a thing of legend; it wasn't supposed to actually happen.
Anyway, their plan also obviously did not involve a young soldier named Emeth voluntarily going into the stable to meet the god that he had worshiped loyally all his life. And the plan was not for Emeth to disappear into the stable. And the plan was certainly not for a man (who Rishda clearly recognizes) to be thrown from the stable, dead. Something is going on in the stable that no one currently understands--not Tirian, not Shift, and no one who can be labeled a protagonist, antagonist, or a victim (the Talking Animals of Narnia) within this novel.
Thus, the mystery of the stable is the winner of this chapter. The mystery is the 'side' with the upper hand. And it's going to absolutely make things interesting from here on out.
Jewel tells Jill to cut the lion skin off of Puzzle, and Jill does so. Shift tells the crowd of Narnians that Aslan is angry, and therefore won't come out of the stable anymore. When a dwarf in the crowd speaks up and says that the whole false Aslan getup was Shift's idea, Shift responds by telling the crowd that there is a Tashlan (what they are now referring to Aslan/Tash) in the stable. Shift says that now, they would have to go into the stable to see Tashlan; however, Tashlan is angry, and who knows what might happen to them.
Tirian and Jill wonder to each other what is really in the stable--and they speculate that it's just likely a few Calormene soldiers with swords. But then, Ginger the cat volunteers to go into the stable. Tirian realizes that Ginger is in on the scheme, and everyone holds their breath as Ginger enters the stable.
Ginger is only in the stable for moments, when it bolts like lightning from the stable and climbs a nearby tree, clearly terrified. Everyone quickly realizes that Ginger has been transformed from a Talking Cat to a non-Talking Cat. Ginger disappears up the tree, and is never seen or heard of again.
Then, a Calormene soldier named Emeth speaks up to Rishda the chief soldier and says that he would like to go into the stable to meet Tash. Emeth is clearly a very devoted Tash follower. Rishda tries to talk Emeth out of going into the stable, but Emeth makes Shift swear that Tash is in the stable. Shift reluctantly swears it, and Emeth goes into the stable.
Very soon after, a man is thrown out of the stable, dead. Rishda goes up the man, reacts in a startled way for a split second, and then announces that Emeth is dead. However, Tirian and company can tell that the man is not Emeth--it is someone else.
Shift then asks who wants to go in next, and he along with Calormene soliders start closing in on the Narnians. Tirian sees that it is time. He tells the others to get their swords out. Seven figures leap into the firelight as Tirian proclaims his presence and calls all loyal Narnians to his side.
Reflection:
This chapter may as well be titled "The Plot Thickens." What makes this chapter the most interesting is that in a vast majority of novels, including a majority of the TCON series, there is a protagonist (or several) and an antagonist (or several). And generally, one of those two parties has the upper hand. Now, in the grand scheme of The Last Battle, our antagonists certainly have the upper hand. But this chapter brings us something new entirely. In this chapter, the mystery has the upper hand.
We know this because literally nothing is going right for anyone. Tirian, Eustace, Jill, and company are having to revise their plan in an impromptu manner after Shift foils their plan to reveal Puzzle to the Narnians. Meanwhile, Shift, Ginger, and Rishda clearly had a plan in which Ginger went into the stable. I don't think the plan was for Ginger to come flying from the stable in absolute terror and somehow turn into a non-talking animal. This, by the way, was not something that just happened. This is not a normal event. This is a thing of mysterious legend--a thing that the Narnians grew up hearing could happen to them if they were bad. It would be like peeing in the pool and your pee actually turning purple. Or crossing your eyes and they actually stayed crossed forever. Or getting a lump of coal in your stocking instead of presents. You get the idea. This isn't something that just happened every day, or ever. It was a thing of legend; it wasn't supposed to actually happen.
Anyway, their plan also obviously did not involve a young soldier named Emeth voluntarily going into the stable to meet the god that he had worshiped loyally all his life. And the plan was not for Emeth to disappear into the stable. And the plan was certainly not for a man (who Rishda clearly recognizes) to be thrown from the stable, dead. Something is going on in the stable that no one currently understands--not Tirian, not Shift, and no one who can be labeled a protagonist, antagonist, or a victim (the Talking Animals of Narnia) within this novel.
Thus, the mystery of the stable is the winner of this chapter. The mystery is the 'side' with the upper hand. And it's going to absolutely make things interesting from here on out.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
The Last Battle | Chapter 9: The Great Meeting on Stable Hill
Chapter Summary:
It becomes clear to everyone that the only thing left to do is to return to Stable Hill, reveal Shift's scheme, and hope that enough Narnians join them in battle to defeat the Calormenes. Tirian insists that Eustace and Jill return to their world, but Eustace and Jill both don't want to and don't know how to return even if they wanted to. After much begging, Tirian allows them to come with him to go to battle.
During the march back to Stable Hill, Eustace and Jill speculate on what would occur to them if they were to die in battle in Narnia. Neither quite knows the answer. Eustace says that he was worried that the terrible jerk they felt on the train was a railway accident, so he was glad that they found themselves in Narnia instead.
Everyone becomes quiet as they approach Stable Hill. They take shelter in some brush just behind the stable and await the midnight meeting that occurs nightly. Their plan is to wait until the right moment, and then reveal Puzzle in his absurd lion skin getup.
The bonfire is lit, and Ginger the Cat, Shift the Ape, and Rishda the Calormene captain appear. Tirian hears Rishda whisper to Ginger to play his part well. The Talking Beasts gather and Shift begins to speak. Shift tells the Narnians that someone has dared to do something horrible--a donkey has decided to dress itself in a lion skin and pretend to be Aslan.
Tirian, Eustace, and Jill react with shock--they realize that they are telling the Narnians just enough of the truth to make their current plan impossible. They now know that if they bring Puzzle out into the open, the Narnians will likely kill him, based on what Shift has just said.
Reflection:
My guess is that this will probably be our last true plot-moving chapter of the TCON series. From here on, it's all about the final hours of Narnia, and what comes next. What this chapter does show us, of course, is the unbelievable bravery of all of the characters in this story. They say that Narnia does have that effect on people, and we're definitely seeing it now. Tirian, Eustace, Jill, Jewel, and Poggin the Dwarf all most likely realize that they are marching toward their deaths in a battle that is virtually un-winable, but they go nonetheless. And they go because despite everything, they still believe in Narnia, and therefore they still believe in Aslan.
Unfortunately, every time they seem to think that the situation can't get much worse, it most certainly does get worse. From the appearance of Tash, to the news that the eagle brings, to the clever lies that Shift tells the Narnians on Stable Hill, things continue to look ever more bleak for the few who are still loyal to Aslan and to Narnia. But like I've said before, Aslan has not come yet, and that is what they are all really waiting for. It is most definitely the eleventh hour at this point, and there is very little hope left.
Reflect now for just a moment that we are still reading what is widely considered to be a series for children. Up until this point, there has been some of the typical violence that one would expect out of a modern children's story, but ever since the last chapter of The Silver Chair, things have taken a much more adult-like turn. The topics that are being handled here--particularly the ones related to the deaths, or imminent deaths, of our protagonists--are incredibly advanced for the average child, and indeed, some of the topics might be rather terrifying. But in my opinion and observation, C.S. Lewis does not hold back. In some ways, this is good, because this is realistic--but in other ways, I'm just not sure it's something I would want my child of, say, five years old, to be reading. What are your thoughts, oh dedicated reader? (You do not exist. It's ok. We both know it.) And just for kicks and giggles, I'll end this post halfwa
It becomes clear to everyone that the only thing left to do is to return to Stable Hill, reveal Shift's scheme, and hope that enough Narnians join them in battle to defeat the Calormenes. Tirian insists that Eustace and Jill return to their world, but Eustace and Jill both don't want to and don't know how to return even if they wanted to. After much begging, Tirian allows them to come with him to go to battle.
During the march back to Stable Hill, Eustace and Jill speculate on what would occur to them if they were to die in battle in Narnia. Neither quite knows the answer. Eustace says that he was worried that the terrible jerk they felt on the train was a railway accident, so he was glad that they found themselves in Narnia instead.
Everyone becomes quiet as they approach Stable Hill. They take shelter in some brush just behind the stable and await the midnight meeting that occurs nightly. Their plan is to wait until the right moment, and then reveal Puzzle in his absurd lion skin getup.
The bonfire is lit, and Ginger the Cat, Shift the Ape, and Rishda the Calormene captain appear. Tirian hears Rishda whisper to Ginger to play his part well. The Talking Beasts gather and Shift begins to speak. Shift tells the Narnians that someone has dared to do something horrible--a donkey has decided to dress itself in a lion skin and pretend to be Aslan.
Tirian, Eustace, and Jill react with shock--they realize that they are telling the Narnians just enough of the truth to make their current plan impossible. They now know that if they bring Puzzle out into the open, the Narnians will likely kill him, based on what Shift has just said.
Reflection:
My guess is that this will probably be our last true plot-moving chapter of the TCON series. From here on, it's all about the final hours of Narnia, and what comes next. What this chapter does show us, of course, is the unbelievable bravery of all of the characters in this story. They say that Narnia does have that effect on people, and we're definitely seeing it now. Tirian, Eustace, Jill, Jewel, and Poggin the Dwarf all most likely realize that they are marching toward their deaths in a battle that is virtually un-winable, but they go nonetheless. And they go because despite everything, they still believe in Narnia, and therefore they still believe in Aslan.
Unfortunately, every time they seem to think that the situation can't get much worse, it most certainly does get worse. From the appearance of Tash, to the news that the eagle brings, to the clever lies that Shift tells the Narnians on Stable Hill, things continue to look ever more bleak for the few who are still loyal to Aslan and to Narnia. But like I've said before, Aslan has not come yet, and that is what they are all really waiting for. It is most definitely the eleventh hour at this point, and there is very little hope left.
Reflect now for just a moment that we are still reading what is widely considered to be a series for children. Up until this point, there has been some of the typical violence that one would expect out of a modern children's story, but ever since the last chapter of The Silver Chair, things have taken a much more adult-like turn. The topics that are being handled here--particularly the ones related to the deaths, or imminent deaths, of our protagonists--are incredibly advanced for the average child, and indeed, some of the topics might be rather terrifying. But in my opinion and observation, C.S. Lewis does not hold back. In some ways, this is good, because this is realistic--but in other ways, I'm just not sure it's something I would want my child of, say, five years old, to be reading. What are your thoughts, oh dedicated reader? (You do not exist. It's ok. We both know it.) And just for kicks and giggles, I'll end this post halfwa
Friday, October 17, 2014
The Last Battle | Chapter 8: What News the Eagle Brought
Chapter Summary:
The horrid stench is coming from a figure that is drifting through the nearby woods. Puzzle runs into the tower and Jill covers her eyes. The figure moves like smoke, but has a body like a bird and the look of a demon. As the figure passes out of sight, the sun comes back out. Tirian identifies the figure as Tash himself; Shift has called for Tash, and Tash is moving toward Stable Hill.
Everyone recovers slowly, and then a decision needs to be made. Either they will go to Stable Hill to reveal Puzzle to everyone and overthrow Shift and the Calormenes, or they will march to meet Roonwit the Centaur and the army he leads from Cair Paravel. They decide on the second option. Tirian, Eustace, and Jill remove their Calormene disguises and then they, along with Jewel, Puzzle, and Poggin, leave the tower and journey to meet Roonwit.
During that journey, Jill speaks with Jewel the Unicorn. Jewel tells Jill about all of the hundreds of thousands of years of peace in Narnia, and tells Jill about many of the historical figures of Narnia that Jill had never heard of before. Jill comes to understand that Narnia is generally a place of great peace, and that mankind only comes to Narnia when there is trouble. Jill wishes aloud that Narnia could go on forever and ever. Jewel says that this is impossible; all worlds must end, except Aslan's country.
Suddenly, the journey stops and everyone's eyes go to the sky. There is a Talking Eagle flying above them, circling in for a landing. When the eagle, named Farsight, lands he hails the King and said that he has seen two things that Tirian must know. First is that Cair Paravel is filled with dead Narnians and living Calormenes--the castle was taken from the sea the previous night. The second sight was Roonwit the Centaur, dead, with a Calormene arrow in his side. Farsight says that he was with Roonwit as he died, and Roonwit sent this message to the King: "Remember that all worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy" (p. 489).
Tirian says that Narnia is no more.
Reflection:
There was a familiarity to the scene with Farsight the eagle that I couldn't put my finger on for a moment, and then suddenly it came to mind. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the wedding, and the warning immediately before the death eaters attack: "The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming... They are coming..."
This chapter brings to us, in my opinion, the two most haunting and disturbing scenes thus far within TCON. The first is the appearance of Tash. Until this point in the series, Tash has been somewhat paralleled with the Baals that we hear about in the Bible. As a reader, we are led to believe that Tash is some sort of fictional god that the Calormenes have created for themselves--but never once are we really led to consider that Tash might actually be real. And then beyond that, even more disturbing, is that not only is Tash real, but Tash is by no means a god--Tash is actually more like a demon than anything else, the sight of whom is enough to darken the hearts (and literally, the surroundings) of anyone it comes near to.
And then, of course, the second scene comes at the end of the chapter, in which the eagle brings the news about Cair Paravel and Roonwit the Centaur. By now, the message should be clear. The Last Battle is not just about the final battle of Narnia--it is about the end of Narnia itself. Roonwit's final message to Tirian says exactly that. And we know that we can trust the words of Roonwit, because Roonwit has been reading the stars, and he knows what is coming. He is not saying that the end of Narnia might be coming--he is saying that the end of Narnia is coming, and that there is nothing wrong with a noble death within that situation.
So here we are, brought to the darkest time in Narnia. The kingdom has fallen, and traitors have overtaken it. The King is now an exile, and the prediction of the end of Narnia appears to have come to be. But still there is hope; Aslan has not yet come. We don't know where he is, but we know that when he has shown up before, things turn out for the better. But this time, we will see.
By now, you can of course see that The Last Battle is not going to follow the patterns that we have seen in the other six TCON novels. Sure, there is adventure, danger, hope, and friendship, but the plot itself is by far different from the other six novels we have read so far. As the final book in the series, this is not too surprising, but it is neat to see how C.S. Lewis has completely reconstructed the prototypical Narnian tale to bring us this final installment. Which, by the way, we are halfway through. Only 8 chapters (and therefore 8 blog posts) remain after today.
The horrid stench is coming from a figure that is drifting through the nearby woods. Puzzle runs into the tower and Jill covers her eyes. The figure moves like smoke, but has a body like a bird and the look of a demon. As the figure passes out of sight, the sun comes back out. Tirian identifies the figure as Tash himself; Shift has called for Tash, and Tash is moving toward Stable Hill.
Everyone recovers slowly, and then a decision needs to be made. Either they will go to Stable Hill to reveal Puzzle to everyone and overthrow Shift and the Calormenes, or they will march to meet Roonwit the Centaur and the army he leads from Cair Paravel. They decide on the second option. Tirian, Eustace, and Jill remove their Calormene disguises and then they, along with Jewel, Puzzle, and Poggin, leave the tower and journey to meet Roonwit.
During that journey, Jill speaks with Jewel the Unicorn. Jewel tells Jill about all of the hundreds of thousands of years of peace in Narnia, and tells Jill about many of the historical figures of Narnia that Jill had never heard of before. Jill comes to understand that Narnia is generally a place of great peace, and that mankind only comes to Narnia when there is trouble. Jill wishes aloud that Narnia could go on forever and ever. Jewel says that this is impossible; all worlds must end, except Aslan's country.
Suddenly, the journey stops and everyone's eyes go to the sky. There is a Talking Eagle flying above them, circling in for a landing. When the eagle, named Farsight, lands he hails the King and said that he has seen two things that Tirian must know. First is that Cair Paravel is filled with dead Narnians and living Calormenes--the castle was taken from the sea the previous night. The second sight was Roonwit the Centaur, dead, with a Calormene arrow in his side. Farsight says that he was with Roonwit as he died, and Roonwit sent this message to the King: "Remember that all worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy" (p. 489).
Tirian says that Narnia is no more.
Reflection:
There was a familiarity to the scene with Farsight the eagle that I couldn't put my finger on for a moment, and then suddenly it came to mind. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the wedding, and the warning immediately before the death eaters attack: "The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming... They are coming..."
This chapter brings to us, in my opinion, the two most haunting and disturbing scenes thus far within TCON. The first is the appearance of Tash. Until this point in the series, Tash has been somewhat paralleled with the Baals that we hear about in the Bible. As a reader, we are led to believe that Tash is some sort of fictional god that the Calormenes have created for themselves--but never once are we really led to consider that Tash might actually be real. And then beyond that, even more disturbing, is that not only is Tash real, but Tash is by no means a god--Tash is actually more like a demon than anything else, the sight of whom is enough to darken the hearts (and literally, the surroundings) of anyone it comes near to.
And then, of course, the second scene comes at the end of the chapter, in which the eagle brings the news about Cair Paravel and Roonwit the Centaur. By now, the message should be clear. The Last Battle is not just about the final battle of Narnia--it is about the end of Narnia itself. Roonwit's final message to Tirian says exactly that. And we know that we can trust the words of Roonwit, because Roonwit has been reading the stars, and he knows what is coming. He is not saying that the end of Narnia might be coming--he is saying that the end of Narnia is coming, and that there is nothing wrong with a noble death within that situation.
So here we are, brought to the darkest time in Narnia. The kingdom has fallen, and traitors have overtaken it. The King is now an exile, and the prediction of the end of Narnia appears to have come to be. But still there is hope; Aslan has not yet come. We don't know where he is, but we know that when he has shown up before, things turn out for the better. But this time, we will see.
By now, you can of course see that The Last Battle is not going to follow the patterns that we have seen in the other six TCON novels. Sure, there is adventure, danger, hope, and friendship, but the plot itself is by far different from the other six novels we have read so far. As the final book in the series, this is not too surprising, but it is neat to see how C.S. Lewis has completely reconstructed the prototypical Narnian tale to bring us this final installment. Which, by the way, we are halfway through. Only 8 chapters (and therefore 8 blog posts) remain after today.
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